The MSC Standard should reflect global best practices in fisheries management and drive positive change on the water. We are watching to see how the current Fisheries Standard Review (FSR) addresses the critical flaws the Make Stewardship Count coalition of experts has identified in the current standard. To reduce the ecological impacts of certified fisheries, the revised Standard must:
November 2020
This rating covers the 2020 public consultation phase on the FSR, which included a public online kick-off conference, several consultation workshops on selected topics for which stakeholders could register, and public online surveys.
Meets Expectations Improving Below Expectations NOTE: Click on each “finger icon” for more information.
- Cumulative impact assessment required for all species caught by ALL fisheries (MSC and non MSC) in the same area
- MSC workshop leaders indicated that how cumulative impacts are defined and how current triggers are implemented in assessments is part of their Review considerations connected to both ‘type and quality of evidence’ as well the ‘ETP species’ review topics.
- Option to discuss cumulative impacts was also included in an online survey.
- The review of cumulative impacts scoring does not appear to include consideration of non-MSC fisheries.
- Application of precautionary principle and best science is used to 1) designate a species as ‘ETP’ and 2) assess fishery impacts on those species
- How species are designated ETP in the Standard is a focus topic.
- However, it is not clear if improvement of Standard scoring areas that focus on the impact of fisheries on ETP species will even be discussed.
- ETP species should be inclusive of, but not limited to, all IUCN Red List ‘threatened’ categories
- Proposals provided during the workshop had crucial flaws: endangered and threatened species are solely defined on IUCN listing, ignoring data deficient species or national and regional listings.
- Prerequisite for certification: bycatch must not exceed a risk based maximum percentage of catch
- Not included in the FSR terms of reference or in related workshops.
- Progressive reduction of bycatch during certification
• Conditions that define risk based annual bycatch reduction rates
• Verification of achieved bycatch reduction during surveillance audits- Risk based assessment options were discussed in both the evidence and information and the ETP species topic workshops.
- Reduction of bycatch and verification of reduction was raised by participants, particularly in relation to the idea of risk based assessments tools and condition setting, but it is not yet clear if these issues will be further taken up in the FSR next steps.
- Prerequisite for certification: no fishing methods that include the intentional encirclement of marine mammals or ETP species
- The issue was raised as a major concern by participants in the workshops but did not seem to get any traction with the MSC for inclusion going forward.
- Prerequisite for certification: All fisheries interacting with sharks (elasmobranchs) must have a ‘fins naturally attached’ (FNA) policy implemented and enforced
- Multiple workshops and online survey options are focused on Standard scoring related to shark finning and MSC’s zero tolerance policy, however it is unclear if MSC is open to adopting ‘fins naturally attached’ as a minimum policy requirement for fisheries entering certification.
- During the workshops clear support was voiced from NGOs, CABs, and retailers for a strict ‘fins naturally attached’ (FNA) requirement for landing sharks at SG60 in compliance with MSC’s zero tolerance policy, as per current global best practice.
- All fishing practices used by the fishery must be assessed during certification
• Upon recertification all remaining fishing techniques have improved to the Standard- The revised FCP (2019) ensured that certified fisheries will no longer be able to target a stock using both certified and non-certified fishing practices with the same gear (known as compartmentalisation).
- All ‘main’ species of the catch must meet the same criteria as target species (P1) even if discarded
- Not included in the FSR Terms of Reference for target or other main species.
- Harvest control rules for Principle 1 are under review during the FSR, but there was no proposal during the workshop for this to be extended to other main species.
- Overfishing (F>Fmsy) is prohibited for all ‘main’ species of the catch
- Not included in the FSR Terms of Reference for target or other main species.
- Harvest control rules for Principle 1 are under review during the FSR, but there was no proposal during the workshop for this to be extended to other main species.
- Prerequisite to Certification: No bottom fisheries in known or likely VME areas
- While not strictly defined this way, workshop scope and discussions on habitat performance indicators focused on two scoring issues, 1. identification of VMEs and potential VMEs, and 2. defining when ‘move on’ rules should be applied.
- Benthic impacts must be reversible in less than 10 years
• Prerequisite to certification: 50% of benthic habitat type in a region closed to all fishing- Workshop scope and discussions did not address these issues – the current definition for ‘irreversible damage’ as ‘recover in 20 years or more’ remains and protection or closure thresholds are not being considered.
- Prerequisite for certification: risk based qualitative and quantitative data requirements exist for bycatch reporting
• Consistent data requirement for comparable fisheries- Risk based assessment options were discussed in both the evidence and information and the ETP species topic workshops, though it is unclear if MSC will pursue such proposals further.
- Consistency of data requirements is a focal discussion under the type and quality of evidence as well as the best practices for control, monitoring, and surveillance FSR topics.
- Upon request stakeholders must have access to all data used for scoring of fishery by CABs (including, inter alia, AIS, VMS, EM, observer raw data)
- Access and availability of data for stakeholders was discussed in workshops covering evidence and information adequacy topics, however it is not yet clear if this issue will be further taken up in the FSR next steps.
- Peer review should be included in any annual audit where conditions are closed
• Possibility for stakeholder objection to surveillance audit outcomes- Conditions were addressed in the 2019 FCP (Fisheries Certification Process) Review.
- Peer review is now required, but stakeholder objection is still not possible.
- No recertification prior to verified fulfilment of all conditions
- Condition extension was tightened in the 2019 FCP review, however extension of conditions is still allowed in some circumstances.
Make Stewardship Count, other stakeholders, and researchers continue to raise concerns about CAB impartiality and MSC accountability as the Standard holder. Neither of the following topics has been taken up in the Fisheries Standard Review and MSC has ignored these concerns.
- Ensure impartiality of the assessment, certification and audit processes, CABs must be independently assigned
- Not addressed during FCP or announced for FSR.
- MSC must be proactive and intervene in case of urgent and obvious problems
- No evidence of improvement apparent so far.
